Premier League: Blue Sunday on Merseyside

Everton vs Chelsea

The pre-Christmas programme of Premier League football continues this weekend, and two clubs at opposite ends of the top flight come face to face at Goodison Park where Everton host high flying Chelsea.

The Toffees battled for an impressive 0-0 draw away to Arsenal last week while the Blues won 2-1, at home to Brentford, a result which took Enzo Maresca’s men clear in second place in the Premier League table and just two points behind leaders Liverpool. Meanwhile Sean Dyche’s Toffees are down in 16^th place, three points above the drop zone. The hosts will do their best to frustrate another London aristocrat on Sunday, and they will defend for their lives… from the front to the back.

 

Talking Point

Pickford is 300 and counting

Everton’s survival in the top flight, over the past three seasons, may have something to do with the club’s free spending, but there is no denying the impact made by goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has been arguably greater. The England number one has been at Goodison Park since his £30m transfer from Sunderland back in 2017, and in the clash with Arsenal, he marked his 300^th Premier League appearance with another man-of-the-match performance.

Pickford made five crucial saves to record Everton’s fifth clean sheet of the Premier League campaign, only Liverpool have earned more shutouts with seven. With just 23 per cent possession and two shots throughout the entire game, none on target, Everton’s rearguard action was heroic but they showed little or no ambition at the other end of the pitch. Dyche is a past master at nicking points off the big guns, doing it regularly during his time as Burnley manager, and he was more than happy with his team’s performance at the Emirates, saying: “You have to know how to work it without the ball. It’s difficult at these grounds to think you’ll have it. You have to do the other things well.”

Everton’s defensive shape was superbly maintained and Dyche reserved praise for his midfield’s support of the back-line. Chelsea will have to patient on Sunday; and they know full well that if they do break the Toffees’ resistance they will need a fine finish to beat Pickford.

 

Chelsea’s left back headache

The latest Premier League 2024 betting odds make Maresca’s men the joint second title favourites, alongside Arsenal, at a rapidly shrinking price of 4.50. And with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City on such a poor run the 2024/25 title race is wide open, with Liverpool the team to beat. The Blues have recorded seven consecutive wins in all competitions as the expensively assembled team is beginning to show just how good it can be. But Maresca has been dealt a couple of blows this week which means his squad is two men down. Left back Marc Cucurella will be missing for the clash with Everton after picking up a red card in the win over the Bees. The Spanish full back headed home his first Premier League goal for Chelsea and, when the in form Nicolas Jackson made it 2-0, it all looked to be plain sailing for the Blues. But things became a little tense when Brentford scored a late goal and Cucurella lost his head, picking up a second yellow card for a daft altercation with Kevin Schade, and that on 98 minutes, much to the annoyance of Maresca. With senior left back Ben Chilwell injured it looks like 21 year old Portuguese defender Renato Veiga may get the nod.

In other Premier League 2024 news the Blues have another unnecessary distraction surrounding the suspension of their Ukrainian forward Mykhailo Mudryk, who is reported to have failed a drug test. Maresca has said he believes his player is innocent, but Mudryk has given a positive test for the banned substance meldonium and he could face a ban of up to four years once the FA’s investigation is complete. The Chelsea boss is yet to decide whether to dip into the market to replace Mudryk, saying: “We have Everton, Ipswich and Fulham. After these three games we will see if we need to do something.”

 

History

With 34 victories to 16 Chelsea have had plenty of head to head success against Everton in the Premier League era but, while they gave the Toffees a 6-0 shellacking last April, the Londoners fell flat on their last pre-Christmas trip to Goodison Park when they lost 2-0 in 2023.

While Everton have won one, drawn three and lost two of the last six games, Chelsea have won all six of their matches, in fact they have won the last seven. And Everton’s home record of two wins, three draws and two defeats doesn’t stand up well to Chelsea’s tally of six away wins, one draw and one defeat on the road.

 

Betting Tip

The Toffees are long shots to upset the odds, at a SBOTOP price of 4.74 to win this match and 3.87 to grab a draw. Chelsea, at odds of 1.52, must fancy their chances but Everton have already shown what they can do against the Gunners.

But Chelsea’s West London rumble with Brentford turned out to be a good test for the Blues… and they passed, as I think they will on Merseyside.

   

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